The MERL team at Oxford Policy Management is seeking State-Level Research Analysts on a fixed-term basis, contingent on the successful outcome of a bid for an upcoming project. We require two Research Analyst per state. 

The position would be located across the states in Nigeria.

We are an international development consultancy working to improve lives through sustainable policy change in low- and middle-income countries. Our vision is for fair public policy that benefits both people and the planet.

Through our global network of offices, we work in partnership with national stakeholders and decision makers to research, design, implement, and evaluate impactful public policy. We draw on our local and international sector experts to provide the very best evidence-based support. We deliver projects with expert knowledge and experience and can be relied upon for excellence in all aspects of project delivery. We work collaboratively, with ambition, to help deliver impactful public policy that will bring about lasting change.

The State-Level Research Analyst will support research, data collection, field verification, data quality assurance and analysis activities in the assigned Nigerian state.

The role will involve working with project teams, state-level government stakeholders, field teams and respondents to collect, validate, analyse and document quantitative and qualitative information. The Research Analyst will contribute to the production of reliable evidence for programme monitoring, verification, assessment and reporting.

Candidates should ideally be based in, or have strong professional and field experience in, the state to which they are proposed. They should be comfortable undertaking fieldwork across the state and engaging with government officials, institutions, communities and other stakeholders.

The State-Level Research Analyst may be expected to:

• Support the design and implementation of state-level research and data collection activities.
• Assist with the development and implementation of sampling approaches and fieldwork plans.
• Identify and/or validate relevant respondents, institutions, facilities and data sources.
• Conduct interviews, surveys, questionnaires, observations and other forms of primary data collection.
• Review administrative records and other secondary data sources.
• Undertake field verification of reported information, records, activities and results.
• Conduct data quality checks to identify inconsistencies, missing information, duplication or anomalies.
• Clean, organise and maintain research and survey datasets.
• Conduct basic to intermediate statistical and quantitative analysis.
• Support descriptive analysis, tabulation, cross-tabulation and interpretation of findings.
• Use appropriate statistical/data analysis tools such as Excel, SPSS, Stata, R, Power BI or similar platforms where applicable.
• Document fieldwork findings, observations, verification results and data-quality issues.
• Maintain accurate records of sources, respondents, datasets and supporting evidence.
• Liaise with state-level Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), project offices and other relevant stakeholders.
• Participate in training, briefing and coordination sessions before and during fieldwork.
• Contribute to research reports, analytical briefs, field reports and other project deliverables.
• Escalate data-quality, methodological or fieldwork issues to the relevant project/research lead.
• Comply with research ethics, confidentiality, safeguarding and data-protection requirements.
• Undertake travel within the assigned state as required.

Candidates should have:

• A university degree in Statistics, Economics, Accounting, Law, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Data Science, Public Policy, Development Studies or another relevant discipline.
• At least two years of relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience in research, data collection, monitoring and evaluation, surveys, statistical analysis, field research or a related area.
• Demonstrated understanding of sampling methods, data collection methodologies and statistical/data analysis.
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and/or other relevant data-analysis tools.

Desirable Experience

The following would strengthen a candidate's profile:

• • Previous experience undertaking field verification or independent verification activities.
  • Experience conducting surveys or research at state/LGA/community level in Nigeria.
  • Experience working with government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
  • Experience with World Bank, donor-funded, government or development-sector programmes.
  • Experience in monitoring and evaluation (M&E/MEL).
  • Experience in field verification.
  • Experience working with large administrative or survey datasets.
  • Experience using SPSS, Stata, R, Python, Power BI, KoboToolbox, ODK or SurveyCTO.
  • Experience supervising or coordinating enumerators/field teams.
  • Knowledge of the political, socioeconomic and institutional context of the assigned state.
  • Fluency in relevant local languages is an advantage.
  • Existing professional networks and familiarity with institutions in the assigned state would be advantageous.

Whether you join us in a corporate position, as a project delivery colleague, or as an independent contractor driving programme management - at OPM you will find a company that places equal value on excellence and integrity. As a leading international development consulting firm, we strive to enable and empower everyone who works with us to do their best work in an environment that welcomes ambition, creativity and passion for positive change.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

We strongly believe in a fairer distribution of power between all stakeholders, and we commit to reflecting this in our organisational structures and in the design and delivery of our projects. We proactively work to evolve ourselves and our stakeholders to shape inclusive and fair programming, implementation, and policies. Our recruitment and procurement processes reflect our ambition to make the international development sector more diverse and inclusive.

If you share our vision for fair public policy that benefits both people and planet, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your application through our careers’ site by the closing date.  We review and interview applicants on a rolling basis and encourage you to apply by way of CV via our careers site at the earliest.